Aditya-L1 Mission: Ready to Launch, Latest Updates, First Solar Mission of India

Aditya-L1, Launching Date, Objective, Instruments, Life, Investigations, Findings, Points to Remember and MCQs for Various Competitive Exams.

Aditya-L1 Mission

Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to study the Sun. The Aditya-L1 mission was first announced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2008. It was originally called Aditya-1. It will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. This orbit will allow the spacecraft to continuously view the Sun without any obstructions.

The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will carry seven payloads to study the Sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. The payloads will use electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors to study the Sun’s atmosphere and its effects on space weather.

Why did Aditya 1 Mission Renamed as Aditya-L1 Mission by ISRO?

The Aditya-L1 Mission is named after the Hindu god Aditya, who is the personification of the Sun. The Aditya-L1 mission was originally called Aditya, but it was renamed after it was decided to place the spacecraft at the Lagrange point L1. Lagrange points are points of equilibrium in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, such as the Sun and Earth, cancel each other out. This allows small objects to orbit stably at these points.

The Aditya L1 spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the L1 point. This means that it will orbit the Sun and Earth in a figure-eight pattern. The halo orbit will allow the spacecraft to continuously view the Sun without any obstructions.

Launch Date

The Aditya-L1 mission is India’s first mission to study the Sun. It was launched on a PSLV-C57 rocket on September 2 , 2023 at 11:50AM. The spacecraft will take about 125 days to reach its final orbit around the L1 point, which is about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.

The Aditya-L1 mission is expected to provide important insights into the following:

The mechanisms of coronal heating
Coronal mass ejections
Pre-flare and flare activities
The dynamics of space weather
The propagation of particles and fields in the interplanetary medium

Objectives of Aditya-L1 Mission

The Aditya-L1 mission’s major scientific objectives are to:

Study the dynamics of the Sun’s upper atmosphere, including the chromosphere and corona.
Study the heating of the chromosphere and corona, the physics of partially ionized plasma, and the initiation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flares.
Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment to provide data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
Understand the physics of the solar corona and its heating mechanism.
Diagnose the plasma in the corona and coronal loops, including their temperature, velocity, and density.
Study the development, dynamics, and origin of CMEs.
Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers of the Sun (chromosphere, base, and extended corona) that eventually lead to solar eruptive events.
Measure the magnetic field topology and magnetic field in the solar corona.
Understand the drivers of space weather, such as the origin, composition, and dynamics of the solar wind.

Aditya-L1 Payloads

The Aditya-L1 mission’s instruments are designed to observe the Sun’s atmosphere, with a focus on the chromosphere and corona. Some of the instruments will also observe the local environment at the Lagrange point 1 (L1). There are a total of seven payloads on board, four of which will perform remote sensing of the Sun and three of which will perform in-situ observations.

Remote Sensing Payloads:

Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC): It has Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy capability of scientific investigation.
Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): It has Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband capability of scientific investigation.
Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS): It has Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation capability of scientific investigation.
High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS): It has Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation capability of scientific investigation.

The remote sensing instruments will use a variety of techniques to study the Sun’s atmosphere, including:

Imaging: This will be used to create images of the Sun’s surface and atmosphere.
Spectroscopy: This will be used to analyze the composition and temperature of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Polarimetry: This will be used to study the magnetic field of the Sun’s atmosphere.

In-situ Payloads

Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment(ASPEX): Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with directions capability of scientific investigation.
Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA): Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with directions major capability of scientific investigation.
Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers: In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz) major capability of scientific investigation.

The in-situ instruments will measure the particles and fields in the space environment around the Sun, including:

Protons: These are the most abundant particles in the solar wind.
Electrons: These are also abundant in the solar wind.
Alpha particles: These are helium nuclei that are accelerated by the Sun.
Magnetic field: This is the magnetic field of the Sun that extends into space.

The Aditya L1 payloads are expected to provide critical information about the following:

The mechanisms of coronal heating
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
Pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics
The dynamics of space weather
The propagation of particles and fields in the interplanetary medium

The payloads will use a variety of techniques to study these phenomena, including:

Imaging
Spectroscopy
Polarimetry
In-situ measurements

The Aditya-L1 mission is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of the Sun and its effects on Earth.

Important Facts on The Aditya L1 Mission for Competitive Exams

Aditya-L1 is a solar mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The mission is named after Aditya, the Hindu god of the Sun.
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point, which is a point of gravitational equilibrium between the Sun and Earth.
The L1 Lagrange point is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft will carry seven instruments to study the Sun, including a coronagraph, a high-resolution spectrometer, an extreme ultraviolet imager, an X-ray imager, a white light imager, a magnetometer, and a solar wind particle analyzer.
The Aditya-L1 mission was launched on September 2, 2023 at 11:50 AM (IST) from Sriharikota.
The mission is expected to last for four years.
The Aditya-L1 mission will help scientists to better understand the Sun and its atmosphere.
The mission will also help scientists to predict solar storms and their impact on Earth.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a major milestone for the Indian space program.
The mission is expected to cost around $200 million.
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft is being built by the ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, India.
The Aditya-L1spacecraft will be launched by the ISRO’s PSLV-C52 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a collaborative effort between the ISRO and several other international organizations, including NASA, ESA, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
The Aditya-L1 mission is expected to generate significant scientific data that will be shared with the international scientific community.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a major step forward in India’s efforts to become a leading spacefaring nation.
The success of the Aditya L1 mission will pave the way for future solar missions by ISRO.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a symbol of India’s growing technological prowess and its commitment to scientific research.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a source of pride for the Indian people and a testament to the country’s growing space capabilities.
The Aditya-L1 mission is a significant contribution to the global effort to understand the Sun and its impact on Earth.
The Aditya-L1 spacecraft is about the size of a refrigerator and weighs about 1,500 kilograms.
The spacecraft will be powered by solar panels and will have a lifespan of about 4 years.
The Aditya-L1 mission will be the first Indian mission to study the Sun in the L1 Lagrange point.
The mission will help scientists to better understand the physics of the solar corona, which is the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
The mission will also help scientists to study the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles that flows from the Sun.

MCQs on The Aditya L1 Mission for Competitive Exams

Which of the following is the Indian space agency that is responsible for the Aditya L1 mission?
- (A) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- (B) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- (C) European Space Agency (ESA)
- (D) China National Space Administration (CNSA)
- Answer: (A) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
What is the main objective of the Aditya L1 mission?
- (A) To study the Sun and its atmosphere
- (B) To study the Moon and its craters
- (C) To study the Earth’s atmosphere and climate
- (D) To study the planets in the solar system
- Answer: (A) To study the Sun and its atmosphere
Where will the Aditya L1 spacecraft be placed?
- (A) In the L1 Lagrange point
- (B) In the L2 Lagrange point
- (C) In the L3 Lagrange point
- (D) In the L4 Lagrange point
- Answer: (A) In the L1 Lagrange point
What are the seven instruments that will be carried by the Aditya L1 spacecraft?
- (A) Solar coronagraph, high-resolution spectrometer, extreme ultraviolet imager, X-ray imager, white light imager, magnetometer, solar wind particle analyzer
- (B) Solar coronagraph, high-resolution spectrograph, extreme ultraviolet imager, X-ray imager, white light imager, magnetometer, solar wind particle detector
- (C) Solar coronagraph, high-resolution spectrograph, extreme ultraviolet imager, X-ray imager, white light imager, magnetometer, solar wind particle collector
- (D) Solar coronagraph, high-resolution spectrograph, extreme ultraviolet imager, X-ray imager, white light imager, magnetometer, solar wind particle sensor
- Answer: (A) Solar coronagraph, high-resolution spectrometer, extreme ultraviolet imager, X-ray imager, white light imager, magnetometer, solar wind particle analyzer
When is the Aditya L1 mission was launched?
- (A) August 2, 2023
- (B) September 2, 2023
- (C) October 2, 2023
- (D) November 2, 2023
- Answer: (A) September, 2023
What is the weight of the Aditya L1 spacecraft?
- (A) 1,000 kg
- (B) 2,000 kg
- (C) 3,000 kg
- (D) 4,000 kg
- Answer: (D) 4,000 kg (Correct answer)
What is the power generation capacity of the Aditya L1 spacecraft?
- (A) 100 watts
- (B) 200 watts
- (C) 300 watts
- (D) 400 watts (Correct answer)
- Answer: (D) 400 watts (Correct answer)
How long will the Aditya L1 mission last?
- (A) 1 year
- (B) 2 years
- (C) 3 years
- (D) 4 years
- Answer: (D) 4 years (Correct answer)
What is the budget for the Aditya L1 mission?
- (A) 100 million USD
- (B) 200 million USD
- (C) 300 million USD
- (D) 400 million USD
- Answer: (D) 400 million USD (Correct answer)
What are the benefits of the Aditya L1 mission?
- (A) It will help to better understand the Sun and its atmosphere.
- (B) It will help to predict solar storms and their impact on Earth.
- (C) It will help to develop new technologies for space exploration.
- (D) All of the above
- Answers: (D) All of the above (Correct answer)
What is the L1 Lagrange point?
- (A) A point of gravitational equilibrium between the Sun and Earth.
- (B) A point of gravitational equilibrium between the Earth and the Moon.
- (C) A point of gravitational equilibrium between the Sun and Jupiter.
- (D) A point of gravitational equilibrium between the Earth and Venus.
- Answer: (A) A point of gravitational equilibrium between the Sun and Earth.
What is a coronagraph?
- (A) A device that blocks out the light from the Sun’s disk so that the corona can be studied.
- (B) A device that measures the intensity of the Sun’s light.
- (C) A device that measures the temperature of the Sun’s atmosphere.
- (D) A device that measures the composition of the Sun’s atmosphere.
- Answer: (A) A device that blocks out the light from the Sun’s disk so that the corona can be studied.
What is an X-ray imager?
- (A) A device that images the Sun in X-rays. (Correct answer)
- (B) A device that images the Sun in visible light.
- (C) A device that images the Sun in ultraviolet light.
- (D) A device that images the Sun in infrared light.
- Answer: (A) A device that images the Sun in X-rays.
What is a magnetometer?
- (A) A device that measures the magnetic field of the Sun.
- (B) A device that measures the temperature of the Sun’s atmosphere.
- (C) A device that measures the composition of the Sun’s atmosphere.
- (D) A device that measures the intensity of the Sun’s light.
- Answer: (A) A device that measures the magnetic field of the Sun.
What are the challenges of studying the Sun from space?
- (A) The Sun is very bright and can damage the instruments on a spacecraft.
- (B) The Sun is very far away and it takes a long time for light to travel from the Sun to Earth.
- (C) The Sun is constantly changing, so it is difficult to get a good understanding of its behavior.
- (D) All of the above
- Answer: (A) The Sun is very bright and can damage the instruments on a spacecraft.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question 1: Which launch vehicle will be used to launch the Aditya L1 mission?

Answer: The Aditya L1 mission will be launched by the PSLV-XL launch vehicle from Sriharikota. The PSLV-XL is an upgraded version of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that is capable of carrying heavier payloads. The Aditya L1 mission’s spacecraft weighs about 1,500 kilograms, which is within the capabilities of the PSLV-XL.

Question 2: When was the Aditya L1 mission first announced?

Answer: The Aditya L1 mission was first announced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2008. It was originally called Aditya-1.

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